This invention relates generally to improvements in door latch and door deadbolt mechanisms. More specifically, this invention relates to a combination door latch and deadbolt assembly which incorporates a variety of improvements facilitating use thereof with a range of standard door backset and/or cross bore dimensions.
Door lock assemblies including latch and/or deadbolt mechanisms are generally well known in the art. Such mechanisms are typically installed within an open cross bore formed through a door and include a spring-loaded latch or deadbolt extending laterally from the cross bore for sliding reception into and/or retraction from an appropriate lock recess formed in an adjacent door jamb. Door handles or knobs are normally provided on the inner and outer sides of the door for use in manual retraction of a spring-loaded latch. Conversely, deadbolt mechanisms are normally key-operated from the outer side of the door to advance or retract the deadbolt from the lock recess, with a thumb turn or additional key operation being provided on the inner side of the door.
In the past, door latch and deadbolt mechanisms have been provided in different sizes which have evolved as relative industry standards. More particularly, the diametric size of the cross bore formed in the door normally assumes one of several relatively standard dimensions. Moreover, the distance or backset of the center of the cross bore from the side margin of the door may also assume one of several relatively standard distances. Unfortunately, previous door latch and/or deadbolt mechanisms or combinations thereof have generally been manufactured to fit one particular set of cross bore and backset dimensions, thereby requiring production and/or stocking of several different product sizes. In addition, when relatively small cross bore dimensions are used, some deadbolt mechanisms have not provided sufficient bolt throw distance for optimum security.
Additional disadvantages encountered with many prior art latch mechanisms relate to inadequate mounting arrangements for stylized lever-type door handles. Such lever-type door handles extend laterally from the associated latch mechanism and are typically mounted on both sides of the door to extend away from the adjacent door jamb. However, previous designs have not satisfactorily accommodated easy and interchangeable left- or right-hand mounting of such handles, nor have previous designs provided adequate support means for preventing droop of a relatively heavy lever-type handle from a selected, for example, horizontal attitude when not in use.
Moreover, while many deadbolt mechanisms are known to include a thumb turn on the inner side of the door for easy manual rotation to advance or retract the deadbolt, previous deadbolt mechanisms have generally required thumb turn rotation through an angle significantly greater than ninety degrees to achieve the desired deadbolt displacement. However, this inherently places the thumb turn at a nonhorizontal position when the deadbolt is advanced and/or retracted, resulting in an unattractive skewed appearance which does not visually reflect the operational position of the deadbolt. It is thus necessary to manually check the deadbolt position.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for improved door latch and deadbolt mechanisms overcoming the disadvantages discussed hereinabove. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.